The proud Tapleigh family originated in Cornwall, a rugged coastal region in southwestern England. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. The Tapleigh family originally lived in Devon in village of Tapeley.

Early Origins of the Tapleigh family

The surname Tapleigh was first found in Devon where the name is associated with the village of Tapeley. At the taking of the Domesday census in 1086 Tapeley was held by Osbern, a Norman Baron, who held it from the Bishop of Countances. However, some of the family were well established as Tabley Inferior in Cheshire from ancient times. " Tabley House, the seat of Lord de Tabley, is replete with natural and artificial embellishments. The ancient house, the former seat of the family, is, with good taste, preserved; it is a fine specimen of the old habitations of the aristocracy of the country, and is situated on an island." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Continuing the quest in Cheshire, the parish of Knutsford was also found to be an ancient family seat. "At the Conquest, Knutsford formed part of the barony of Halton, but in the reign of Edward I. it came into the possession of Sir William de Tabley, who obtained for it a charter of incorporation and various privileges." One of the first records of the family was Adam de Tabley, Lord of Cheadle (1270-1306), son of Roger d'Eiville, father of William de Tabley (born c. 1275.) This William is presumed to be the aforementioned Sir William. He had at least one daughter, Katherine de Tabley (1310-1390) who with her sisters(?) sold the estate in small parcels to the Masseys, Egertons and Breretons.

Early History of the Tapleigh family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tapleigh research.Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1250 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Tapleigh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tapleigh Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Tapley, Taplay, Tappleigh, Tapleigh, Taplegh, Tapplegh, Taplow, Taploe, Tapploe, Tapplow, Tapely, Tapply, Tarpley, Tarpleigh, Tarplow and many more.

Early Notables of the Tapleigh family (pre 1700)

More information is included under the topic Early Tapleigh Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tapleigh family to the New World and Oceana

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Tapleigh: Clement Tapley, who arrived in Boston in 1640; Christopher Tapley, who arrived in Maryland in 1668; William Tapley, who settled in Jamaica in 1685; H. Tapley, who arrived in New York, NY in 1823.